Automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards



AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING SKEG FOR SURFBOARDS Filed March 15, 1968 R. ELLIS June 23, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR R. ELLIS 3 516 100 June 23, 1970 AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING SKEG FOR SURFBQARDS Filed March 13. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,516,100 AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING SKEG FOR SURFBOARDS Robert Ellis, 350 Lomas Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Calif. 92075 Filed Mar. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 712,853 Int. Cl. A63c 15/00 US. Cl. 9--310 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The skeg of the surfboard is mounted on a pivot from the bottom rear end of the board and hangs downward by gravity, the skeg being adapted to swing backward and upward from its pivot so as to both decrease the area and decrease the depth thereof under the water line as the speed of the board increases. The skeg may also be in two parts, one part rigidly attached to the board while the pivoted skeg moves in a vertical plane in relation thereto, means being also provided to set the movable skeg in any desired fixed position and also to adjust the degree of resistance of the skeg to the water as the surfboard moves forward. Both rigidly attached and movable skegs being of the same configuration and area so that the movable skeg can exactly cover the rigid skeg to secure the minimum area.

This invention relates to automatic adjusting skeg for surfboards and the principal object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically adjusting both the exposed area and depth under the water line of the skeg while the surfboard is in forward motion so as to permit the surfer to manipulate the surfboard to better advantage as well as to slightly increase the speed of the board.

Other and further objects will appear in the specifications and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which;

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the rear end of the surfboard.

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing means for either increasing or decreasing the apparent reactance of the pivoted skeg to the water.

FIG. 5 is a partial rear view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the rear portion of a surfboard showing a slightly different arrangement.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of FIG. 6 showing part in section.

FIG. 8 is a side view, partly in section, of another alternative design.

FIG. 9 is a section on the line 99 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings in which like characters and numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 denotes a conventional surfboard to the bottom rear end of which, in this case, is attached by means of suitable screws 11, the two diametrically opposed angles 12 spaced a short distance apart and within which space is swingable in a vertical plane the skeg 13 mounted onto the short shaft 14 which is securely attached thereto. In manipulating a surfboard the surfer requires more area and deeper submergence of the skeg at slow speeds to keep headway, the slower speed also permitting less effort to make a turn of the board which is done by suddenly twisting his body, while at higher speeds the friction of the water against the sides of the skeg is considerably increased and requiring greater effort on the part of the surfer to make a turn, this increased friction causing the pivoted skeg to swing backwards and upwards, thus decreasing the area of the skeg and also the depth of submergence, thus enabling the surfer to "ice make his turn with normal effort than would be the case at such speed with the original area and depth position of the skeg. At the original position of the skeg, dotted lines 13A, FIG. 2, the skeg assumes its greatest area and depth below water line W, at 13 the intermediate position has less depth and at 13C the least area in the water and depth. These positions are all taken automatically and are coordinated with the speed of the surfboard. Should the surfer prefer to have the skeg 13 rigid with the board, a screw 30 is provided in an angle 12 which, by screwing it against the skeg 13 will frictionally keep it from turning on the shaft 14.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown a spiral spring 15 one end thereof being attached at 16 to an angle 12 while the other end, after circling the loose collar 17, is attached thereto at 18, the set screw 19 then being tightened to shaft 14 after the spring 15 is manipulated, by turning the collar in either direction from neutral, to create a pressure by the spring either forwardly or rearwardly against the skeg 13. In this manner the performance of the automatically operated skeg is specifically regulated.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an alternative design in which an additional skeg 20 is provided but which skeg is permanently attached to the board 10 as shown, the movable skeg 13 being pivoted thereto at 14 as illustrated. The pivoted skeg 13 is swingable around shaft 14 in close proximity to rigid skeg 20, the edges of both skegs being chamfered on one side only at 21 as shown so as to divert the water efiiciently. It will be noted that both skegs have approximately the same area and contour so that as the skeg 13 swings around shaft 14, more and more of the area of skeg 20 is covered and less area remains of skeg 13 from its original position at dotted line 13A, the skeg 13 fluctuating back and forth according to the changing speed of the surfboard. The speed of the surfboard is incidentally increased slightly due to the now decreased frictional area of the skegs. In this case the rigidly attached skeg 20 has a slightly tapered upper edge 22 which is tightly drawn into its correspondingly tapered socket by means of screw 23 which also draws together the tapered clamping strip 24 as illustrated in FIG. 7, thus providing a strong removable attaching means for skeg 20. Should it be desired to rigidly secure movable skeg 13 in any preferred position in relation to rigid skeg 20, the threaded screw 30 may be fitted into any of the registering holes 31 in rigid skeg 20. The letter W denotes the water line. When the skeg 13 is in uppermost position, the edges of the two skegs match and a single efiicient centrally disposed sharp edge will result.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate still another version of the invention, the rigidly attached skeg 20 being more or less covered by the hollow movable skeg 13H movable rearward in the direction of arrow 32 by the friction of the water against its sides as the speed of the surfboard increases. Should the surfer desire to suddenly or temporarily change the automatic control of the skeg, he simply pushes his heel 33 against either knob 34 or 35 in the direction of either arrow 36 or 37 as the case may call for, which alters the exposed area of the skeg as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have evolved an automatic means for regulating the area and depth below the water line of the skeg as the surfboard passes through the water, enabling the surfer to much better manipulate his board to satisfactorily complete the necessary turns and incidentally keep the board on a steady course, permitting a larger area skeg to be used than usual to maintain a steady course at slow speed and reducing the exposed area below normal while making a turn more easily.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a surfboard or the like, a skeg, said skeg being rigidly secured to the bottom of said surfboard and depending therefrom, and an additional skeg, said additional skeg being pivoted to said rigid skeg and normally being positioned in front of said rigid skeg to form an enlarged part of said rigid skeg, the said additional pivoted skeg overlapping said rigid skeg more or less as the :water friction on said additional pivoted skeg increases or decreases in approximate proportion to the speed of the said surfboard.

2. In an automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards and the like as defined in claim 1, the said additional pivoted skeg being hollow and adapted to cover a more or less portion of said rigid skeg in accordance with the changing forward speed of said surfboard.

3. In an automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards and the like, as defined in claim 1, the said additional pivoted skeg being of substantially the same area and configuration as said rigid skeg.

4. In an automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards and the like as defined in claim 1, the said two skegs being of substantially the same area and configuration and when together at the maximum rearward movement of said pivoted skeg forming a V-shaped edge.

5. In an automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards and the like, as defined in claim 1, and securing means between said skegs to prevent the said pivoted skeg from moving in relation to said rigid skeg.

6. In an automatically adjusting skeg for surfboards and the like as'defined in claim 1, and removable or ad additional skeg being pivoted to and between said rigidly:

attached depending skeg lips near the upper end of each of said skeg lips.

I References Cited v UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,593,806

3,066,327 12/ 1962 Durfey 93 10 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,500,116 9/1967 France.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner J. E. PITTENGER, Assistant Examiner U.S. ct. X.R.

4/1952 Steele 9310 

